Post navigation

A shelter dog undergoes the SAFTER test. Food reactivity is guaged when the fake hand tries to take away the food.

A few days ago I had a very difficult situation to work with. The dog in question, a Shar Pei mix, I’ll call Lisbon, was food aggressive (had actually bitten people and other dogs in the house) as well as resource guarding (resource guarding is the same as food aggression, only in place of the food, she was aggressively guarding areas in the house she deemed as her own).

If a dog is reacting with aggression over anything other than their safety (i,e., they’re scared of you), or the safety of their pack, that’s trouble. That’s the sign of a dog who is in the Pilot position, and who is frequently more than happy to try to take money out of your Piloting Piggy Bank. Remember, whomever has the most money wins, so frequently these dogs are indeed the Pilot in the house simply because snapping and growing over a resource works. Essentially, they tell you “no”, and it works because, well, teeth can be scary! The more often they tell you “no”, and the more often you accept that as an answer, the more money the dog has taken out of your Piloting Piggy Bank.

Most other things aren’t quite so dangerous to work with because we are working with questions that the dog actually hopes end in a “no”.

Will that other dog kill me?

No, Fido.

Have any dogs ever died in a thunderstorm before?

No Fido, and I doubt you’ll be the first.

Resource guarding is different. A dog has decided that something is theirs, and no matter what, they are keeping it. Sometimes when I come into a house a dog is resource guarding, but their heart really isn’t into it. They’ve accidentally become Pilot in the house because the owner has never properly communicated with the dog, letting them know that they don’t have to be Pilot. Hint: most dogs don’t even want the job!

These dogs aren’t resource guarding so much as taking all the perks that come with the Piloting position. For a dog, being Pilot can be scary, terrifying, and generally sucks. Just like not every human feels comfortable leading, the same is true for dogs. If they’re going to be Pilot, there had better be some perks that come along with it! These include the right to eat first, the right to sleep where they want to…basically, the right of first refusal for anything. For the dogs who aren’t even really into the Pilot position, and didn’t want the damn job to begin with, merely Piloting them and taking the money out of their bank is sufficient. They aren’t true resource guarders.

As Danika mentioned in her blog post On Food Reactivity….Nothing Personal. Really., they aren’t doing it because they hate you. Or because they want to hurt you. In their minds, you are asking a question: Can I have that back? They are answering your question (No), but you aren’t listening, apparently, so they have to answer it with more force, until you finally back down.

Dogs and wolves are a pack. They are a single entity driven towards one thing, survival and continuation of the pack. In the pack, only alpha male and alpha female breed. They are the Pilots. They have (for the moment) the best shot of perpetuating the pack because they are the best dogs/wolves in the pack. Obviously this can change. Dogs and wolves don’t vote in who they think is the best for Pilot. There’s no bribes. Either you are or you aren’t and accepting another dog’s “no” to a question you asked can take enough money out of your Piloting bank to no longer make you Pilot.

Wolves deciding who’s eating first. The wolf on the left is giving typical “back off, it’s mine” body language. The wolf on the right is submitting.

So back to resource guarding. It isn’t a bad behavior. Remember, nothing a dog does is bad; it’s always perfectly correct. For a dog. However, as humans, we can not safely tolerate resource guarding. It’s dangerous, and for kids, it’s the second biggest reason I see them get bit, (first is teasing or torturing the dog). The difference is, a bite because a child is manhandling a dog is usually a sudden nip. Yes, it may cause blood even (remember, you’re supposed to be covered in hair and loose skin, like a dog, not soft vulnerable flesh), but it’s typically not that bad unless the dog hit a lucky spot. With resource guarding, it can be a lot, lot worse.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: resource guarding is one of the few things (the only?) that I will tell a client to put a dog down for. Yes, they can be worked with, and you can indeed take the Piloting position back, but you will have to defend it the rest of your dog’s life. They may challenge you at any moment. You may absent-mindedly drop food on the floor, lean over to pick it up, and the dog decides at that moment to claim it, meaning a bite.

These dogs can be the sweetest, kindest dogs on the planet, as Lisbon is. Wonderful, loving family pets. But once the food comes out, they are like a vampire who hasn’t fed being led through a blood bank. Yucky, ugly things ensue.

So back to Lisbon: how did things end? Well, they haven’t yet. They never will. Some dogs you can slack with on the Piloting and still be fine. Lisbon’s owner will always be on alert for any sign Lisbon is trying to take money out of his bank. Lisbon’s owner is single with no kids, so he doesn’t have to worry about a child being bit. He also understood the severity of the issue. He is dedicated to the training regime, which includes:

- Feeding Lisbon after a successfully Piloted walk. A walk done correctly (read: you are leading, not your dog) takes money out of their Piloting Piggy Bank. We want to empty Lisbon’s account out as much as possible before feeding.

- Lisbon will always be on a leash during feeding times, just like you always wear a seat belt in the car. You may never truly need it, but there’s nothing like feeling safe to help bring out the Pilot inside of you.

- Hand feeding Lisbon. Food only comes from him, and no other source. We want to remove everything as a possible option for Lisbon to acquire food. She need to be dependent upon her owner for all food. Food is placed on the counter, and Lisbon will be seated and fed one handful at a time, and only if she is calmly waiting.

- Removing signals that may increase energy during feeding time. For example, when Lisbon sees her owner grab her food dish on the counter, she knows her owner is about to feed her. Her energy level goes way up, and she can be difficult to manage. Lisbon will never be fed out of a bowl again. Even the vessel used to contain the food while she is being hand fed will be switched out frequently so she never knows if food is coming or if her owner is merely grabbing a cup for some coffee.

- Dropping food on the ground doesn’t mean it’s yours!!! Lisbon’s owner, while hand feeding Lisbon, will occasionally gently place food on the ground behind him, moving very slowly. If she lunges for the food, he can redirect her with the leash, wait until she’s calm, and then slowly pick the food up and throw it away. Lisbon will never have the right to food on the floor. Ever. If she remains calm during that little exercise, she will get another handful of food.

- Never toss food at Lisbon. The very act of snatching food in the air is aggressive. In some dogs it’s not a big deal, and is even amusing (Darwin could catch food out of a dead sleep!), but those dogs aren’t really jockeying for Pilot position. We are driving the point home that calm is the only thing that gets Lisbon food, and lunging towards food won’t be accepted any more.

- Getting her used to disappointment. A lot of resource guarding dogs get upset and retaliate if they think they were about to get food but don’t. For example, the now-defunct food bowl. If Lisbon’s owner simply picked up the food bowl to move it without feeding her, Lisbon might retaliate. You were supposed to feed me, remember? Touching the food bowl is avisual marker that is supposed to end a certain way, and if it doesn’t…bad things happen. So he’s going to get her used to disappointment. Dropping the food on the floor is a good start, but sometimes putting food in a cup on the counter, creating calm with Lisbon, and then dumping the food back into the bin, all in a controlled manner. Calm doesn’t always get Lisbon food. It’s merely the only way she might get food. It’s like the lottery: you don’t always win, but unless you play, you aren’t going to win.

Hand feeding… in the good way

I have great hopes for Lisbon and her owner. Lisbon is a great dog, and they made wonderful strides in the two hours I was with them. Lisbon’s owner is dedicated, and he understood the severity of the problem. If anyone has a chance at a safe, wonderful bond with a resource guarding dog, it’s him.

Nefretiri: You will be king of Egypt and I will be your footstool!

Moses: The man stupid enough to use you as a footstool isn’t wise enough to rule Egypt.

- The Ten Commandments (1956 film)

Boots and Bee Photography – by Brittany Graham

I have a long history of standing by my statement that dogs are very simple creatures. They definitely aren’t stupid. They’re refreshingly simple. There’s not much subterfuge about them. I’ve never cottoned much to people coming up with long lists of do’s and don’ts when it comes to dogs. Why complicate such simplistically beautiful creatures, such as dogs are, with all kinds of clauses, addendum and notations? Still, humans tend to fare better when at least given the general direction of where to start with dogs, preferably written down. In stone. So I therefore present to you,

THE FIFTEEN COMMANDMENTS (FOR DOG OWNERS)

THE FIFTEEN TEN COMMANDMENTS (FOR DOG OWNERS)

1) THOU SHALT PILOT THY DOG. Thy dog is not savvy unto the ways of the human world, for thine canine is but a canine,though created perfectly, as a canine.

In other words, if you want a square peg to fit in a round hole, it’s going to need some help. Both the square peg and the round hole may need to change and accommodate each other, but both need to change. In most households, I see the dog is expected to adapt to living in a human world, whereas the humans are expected to merely expect the dog to accommodate them by changing into a human. Dogs need Pilots. Until they develop opposable thumbs, help them to understand this human world. Answer their myriad of questions, whether it be as benign as “Hey, you going to eat that?” to as serious as “Is that other dog going to kill us?”. Give them the answers they crave in the form of Piloting, and help them make sense of this place. - Book of Kerry, Yes Way, No Way

2) THOU SHALT KEEP THEY DOG IN MOVEMENT. For thine canine is not a machine, it has a heart which loveth thou deeply. Keep it pumping.

Your dog is not a mobile area rug, nor should you expect it to behave as one. If you want a good dog, give your dog the Activity he craves, no just for his enjoyment, but for his well being. A dog who is not exercised has plenty of demons. Exorcise Exercise those demons. - Book of Kerry, Calm

3) THOU SHALT GIVE YOUR DOG A JOB. Thine canine was created for a purpose, and a purpose he must have.

Don’t treat you dog like he’s stupid, because he ain’t. He’s got a big ol’ brain in his head, designed to help him work with his pack to hunt his food. Right now that huge cranium is being used to hunt down the last Cheerio from under the couch. Treat a dog like a dog…like the intelligent, sentient being he is. Give him food for his brain. - Book of Kerry Blood(less) Sport

4) THOU SHALT NEVER PUNISH A DOG FOR BEING A DOG. Thy canine has been created perfectly, as a canine. Thou shalt not punish him for not acting human.

You got a dog because you wanted a dog. If you want another human, go on a date, realize it’s stupid, humans are dumb, and then get a dog, because dogs are so much better.

Don’t punish the dog because it doesn’t fully understand a human world, and doesn’t do human things. Punishment is sick and gross, and so overrated. -Book of Kerry Shocking

You simply cannot use positive reinforcement for every single situation your dog gets into. Learn to identify when positive is merited (a lot more often than you’d think) and how to give it (it’s not just treats!). Marking a behavior you like (housebreaking, calmness, or a trick) with positive reinforcement is only half the answer. Making sure you don’t mark unwanted behaviors with positive is the other half. - Book of Kerry Positive Influence

6) THOU SHALT REALIZE THE DEPTH OF DEVOTION THY CANINE HAS. And thou shalt strive to be worthy of said devotion.

Your dog will only live 10-15 years. Some less, some more. Most of their time is spent waiting for you. For that brief moment of happiness they get when you spend just a little bit of time with them. For that quick “Hi Fido. Miss me today boy?” that they get in that five minutes between you coming home from work to let them out and you going out again for drinks with you friends. It means the world to them. You mean the world to them. Be worthy of it. They spend their entire lives waiting. Don’t let it be in vain. Love them.

I stepped on Orion’s tail yesterday. After I kicked him in the face during our walk. I totally suck. But he forgave me, and I forgave myself because I did the best I could. I look back at my first dog, Saint Darwin (he’s been canonized for this post), and I see so many things I would have done differently with him, but it was nearly 20 years ago. I did the best I could. If you can truly say that, then you’re forgiven. Grudges are never held. That’s the beauty of the Church of Dog.

All is forgiven for those who are truly trying.

8) THOU SHALT NOT FEEL THE NEED TO LIKE THY CANINE AT ALL TIMES, FOR HE CAN TRULY BE AN ASSHOLE. Yet thou shalt still remember to love thy canine despite his proclivity towards assholery.

Sometimes you really want to murder your dog. Usually over a new pair of shoes, or what is now 1 1/2 pairs of shoes. Remember, your dog isn’t out to get you, your dog isn’t angry, and your dog isn’t “acting out”. But that doesn’t help assuage your anger, though, does it?

I have a saying: ”I’d rather say a mean thing than do a mean thing.”

I give you permission to call your dog is an asshole. To not like him at the moment. To call him whatever name you want to (Hint: ”Shitbird” has already been taken by Orion; Sparta is “Crazy Bitch”.) I will never yell these names at my dogs, because my dogs are not ever to be demeaned by yelling. But calmly acknowledging that I don’t like them right now …well, that’s imperative. I’m not going to pretend that I love working with Sparta’s dog reactivity, or that Orion’s anxious nature is something I had long dreamed to have in a dog. I may not like these issues, but I’m the human, and it’s up to me to deal with them. And it’s ok not to like them. But I will always love them. No matter what they’ve done, I love them still. – Book of Kerry Time Out

9) THOU SHALT LOVE THE CANINE YOU HAVE, NOT THE CANINE YOU WANT. For the canine thou want is but a mythical beast which lives only in thy imagination.

Sparta is dog reactive. Orion is hyper. Not the dog I want, but always the dogs I’ll love. I will never try to turn them into something they aren’t. - Book of Kerry What Could Have Been

One of a kind. The best dog ever. Mourn them when they’re gone. Get a little weepy eyed when you see another dog walking down the street that looks exactly like your old dog, Rex. They spend such a brief period with us…physically. In spirit, though, let them linger on for as long as you breathe for that is truly the best monument to give to a dog: memory of them. A small smile and a misty eye are the best shrine your dog could ever have, even 30 years later. And they deserved it. Even after everything, they always deserve it.

Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends.

Shirley MacLaine

I hear these phrases constantly. Some dogs are goofy, fun-loving balls of affection who have never met a stranger. Then we have dogs who have what I call a healthy sense of self-preservation. My Orion used to be like that.

No, Orion wasn’t abused, which is a common misconception with dogs such as these. As humans we try to rationalize and explain behavior. It must have a cause! Something precise that has caused our dogs to be wary of the world.

But the world doesn’t work like that. For example, my daughter, River, is the most fun-loving, outgoing creature I have ever met. She explained to the pizza delivery guy a few days ago that if he ever encountered a monster, she’d protect him. She then gave him a hug. River is the equivalent of a pittie: the life of the party who thrives on any type of human interaction.

My son Eric is completely different. He’s more circumspect. He has wonderful social manners, but it takes him a long time to warm up to someone and feel comfortable. He needs to feel out a situation before he participates in it.

Neither of my kids have been abused. Both have been raised exactly the same way. We accept that kids can have different personalities, but we don’t allow much wiggle room for our canine companions. They have to be exuberant balls of fun, just desperate for human interaction, regardless of with whom, in order for the to be healthy, happy dogs. But just as not all humans are of that caliber (I certainly am not), not all dogs need to fit into the one-size-fits-all mould of “dog behavior”.

Orion, who took a few weeks to warm up to my husband, now thoroughly enjoys any attention he can get from him.

Orion, for instance, is a lot more wary and aloof than a lot of dogs. As a matter of fact, when I first met Orion, he bit me. Completely not his fault: he didn’t know me, and I had thrust my hand inside his carrier to retrieve him, as he had gotten caught in the back of it somehow. Any creature with a lick of sense (especially one weighing 5 lbs.) would do the same thing! It doesn’t mean he’s damaged, it means he has an healthy sense of self-preservation.

Gradually I built up Orion’s trust in me. I started by not yelling, kicking, hitting or otherwise abusing the dog. Common sense, right? The longer I went without kicking Orion, he figured the more likely it was that I wasn’t going to start. But then we moved beyond that. There’s a difference between a friend and a protector. I was to become both. I needed to Pilot Orion. In other words, I needed to not only answer all of his tough questions (such as, “Is that person a threat?” and, “Should I be afraid?”), but I had to get him to trust me enough to forgo his own determination of a situation and accept my answer.

Teaching a new trick can help build trust. You’re working together as a team with a common goal: communication.Boots and Bee Photography – By Brittany Graham

Look at it like this: What if I told you to sell everything you own and invest a certain stock? Your reaction would probably be, Why on earth should I listen to you and do something so potentially catastrophic?! You’d be crazy to just listen to me regarding such a decision. However, what if I started off with small suggestions, such as putting $5 towards something. You take a look at my situation, which seems financially comfortable, and decide to take the $5 plunge. That $5 turns into $10. Your faith in my decisions is boosted. I give you another suggestion, you take it, and make more money, or, at the very least, don’t lose any. Pretty soon you’re actively looking to me for suggestions.

That’s how it works with dogs. You have to give them a reason why your answers to their questions are better than what they can come up with. That’s what Piloting is all about. Now obviously you can answer their questions with force, and with pain and anger, but that’s losing the most important part of the Piloting equation: trust. So how do you get a dog to trust you? Easy! Put them in very simple situations that require only a very small leap of faith, and then gradually up the ante.

I recently boarded the world’s most adorable Labradoodle, Cody, in my home due to his owner’s injury and anticipated long convalescence. How did I get him accustomed to me, and used to my answering his questions? I started with agility. Teaching him to jump over a yardstick placed directly on the floor. Then adding stimulation: placing one end on a soup can, raising it just a bit. Then the next side is raised. Pretty soon Cody is trusting me enough to go bounding back and forth across the “jump”. If I had started out with the jump raised all the way…well, that’s a bit of a stretch. He didn’t know me very well, and that’s an awful lot to ask of a dog. But by adding gradual amounts of stimulation to the situation, raising it slowly, I was able to expand his level of comfort with my decisions until eventually he trusts my answers more than he trusts his own. That is what Piloting is all about.

So how do we put this in play with regard to stranger danger? Well, we need to start with the fact that it is okay that your dog is wary of strangers. We aren’t trying to change who your dog fundamentally is. But we can indeed broaden their horizons a bit. Get your dog to trust your answers with the small things, like walking by the man on the other side of the street. Answer their questions as you are walking, and make sure you are Pilot during the walk. Don’t just drag your dog along past the stranger – that’s forcing them past a point, not answering their questions. It may take a bit of mental fortitude on your part to make it past the first person, but if you are Pilot, take your time, and keep your patience, you will do it. Remember, this is difficult for your dog: this is the first time you are Piloting them past a perceived danger. It is a huge leap of faith on their part and should be treated as such. Just because you realize that the other person isn’t a threat doesn’t mean they do. But if you get them past the first person, answering their questions all the while, the second person is easier to get by, then the third, and so on. Pretty soon your dog is looking for your answers rather than coming up with their own.

Orion is still wary of strangers. I allow him to be. Unless I don’t. That’s the beauty of Piloting. If you don’t abuse the position, you can ask your dog to do marvelous things. Orion and I worked on his stranger danger, gradually upping the ante each time. First he had to walk calmly by strangers, which is difficult when you barley reach someone’s ankles – no wonder everything looked like a threat! (You try walking among a herd of elephants without being apprehensive, and then you’ll understand what a small dog can feel like on the sidewalk.)

Next we worked on strangers approaching. They would ask to pet my dog, and I would let them…in a very controlled way. I would pick him up and present him rear first. If Orion would ask a question, such as “Can I make them stop petting me?”, I would answer his question by very gently tapping him on the derriere with all five fingers, similar to the way one taps out an email on a computer: no harder. It’s not about pain, it’s about getting him to refocus on me and the answer I was giving him.

Trust is integral. If I’m asking Orion to trust my judgment about someone, it’s up to me to keep him safe and make wise judgments. So if the individual who wants to pet Orion seems very hyper or is giving off a lot of negative energy, my answer is no. My first duty is to my dog, not to social graces. It’s up to me to put Orion in situations where he can thrive, not situations that test his faith in me to beyond capacity. I also don’t force Orion to take affection without a good reason. I don’t make him be pet just for the sake of being pet. Affection has to be mutual. My goal was to make sure he was acclimated to being touched by anyone, just in case circumstances arose where he needed to be (vet, boarding, etc.). I still make him accept being pet, but only for one of two reasons: he truly wants to be pet by that person, or I need to work on his accepting touch to keep him from backsliding into not accepting touch from a human.

As Orion accepted being pet by strangers, he was always given a reward. For Orion, food doesn’t do much, but calm gentle praise certainly did. He wanted to know he was on the right track, and I most definitely assured him of it. Answer his questions, give positive when he chooses to accept the answer. Wash rinse repeat.

Orion is still wary of strangers, but rather than immediately cowering in fear or lashing out when someone decides to pet him, he takes a different approach now. He looks at me. He expects me to answer his questions. Sometimes he has to accept that he will be pet, but since I’ve always protected him during the petting, he isn’t afraid anymore. Now he’s the dog who will warm up to a stranger after a bit, and actually “ask” to be pet – something that I never thought would happen.

Orion and Cody. It took a little Piloting to get Orion to accept my answers and Cody, namely that Cody wasn’t a threat.

Orion has come a long way from that frightened little creature he once was. Yes, I have put a lot of effort into Piloting him and answering his questions, but it’s always easier to be the one answering questions than the one who has to take a leap of faith. That’s why I’ll always strive to be worthy of the Pilot position and never shake his faith through ego or vanity or putting him in situations that we haven’t worked towards yet. I’ve earned his trust, and it’s up to me to make sure I don’t abuse it.

The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Boots and Bee Photography – by Brittany Graham

“Is it okay that my dog is on the couch?”

“Can we play tug with a rope toy? Or is that wrong?”

“We’re using puppy pads. Is that bad?”

Questions like these from my clients make me crazy. No, not because they are asking me questions, but because somehow they got it in their head that there are hard and fast rules to “dogging”. They get a dog, and the first thing they want to know is what the rules are. All. The. Rules.

Because obviously, if something isn’t complicated and supremely structured, it doesn’t work. The more rules, the better you’re doing, right? After all, t’s been working for the DMV.

We must be cautious.

So obviously, rules suck. Unless you’re a dog owner, and then you want the rules. All the rules. Well, you want ‘em? You got ‘em.

Before I tell you the rules, let’s review the steps to working with a dog, in any capacity. Whether stopping the barking, teaching them to sit, or maybe something a little more intricate.

Everything starts with these steps:

1) Control Yourself.

Controlling yourself means you are calm (even if only on the outside). You are using confident body language (stand up straight!). You are not yelling, or even talking. In other words, you are NOT Corky Romano.

Don’t be a Corky.

2) Control the Situation.

Meaning if you can’t stuff 10 pounds of dirt in a 5 pound bag, why are you trying to stuff 15? Stop, take a look at the current situation. For example, if someone is at the door, but your dog is there barking, jumping, and, well, being Corky Romano, do you have control of the situation? No! Then don’t add any stimulation (such as opening the door) until you have control. Answer your dog’s question about the door, and then move forward when you have control. Reboot if necessary. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Okay, now that you know the playing field (controlling yourself and controlling the situation), now for the rules.

I use a mix of negative and positive. The same way you do throughout your life. I asked my husband it was raining outside He said “no”. That’s a negative My daughter asked if she could go to a friends house. I said “yes”. That’s a positive. Think of it as a game of “hot or cold”. We call this Piloting your dog.

Rules of When to Use Negatives

1) When you don’t like what your dog is doing. Yes, seriously…it’s that easy. Ask yourself if you like the behavior your dog is giving (barking, jumping, or just laying against the fridge that you are trying to open), and if you don’t like it, give them a negative. Remember your dog isn’t bad. Dogs are incapable of being bad. They are perfect… for a dog. They just happen to suck at being human.

And guess what? You probably don’t make a very good dog.

So let’s jettison the whole “Good/Bad” thing…and the gun. You’re answering questions for your dog, not deciding if the questions make your dog “good” or “bad”.

2) When your dog is “yo-bitching” you. Now there’s an interesting term: ”yo-bitching“. What does that mean? It’s when a dog slaps you with their paw. Or jumps on you. Or pushes you out of the way. It’s the human equivalent of saying, “Yo, Bitch, gimme a cookie.” Or “Yo, Bitch, that’s my chair”. Vulgar? Absolutely. Acceptable? Never. You wouldn’t accept a human addressing you like that, so don’t accept that from a dog. Dog’s are perfectly capable of using polite, “May-I-Please” body language. Start to demand and expect it at all times.

On to the positives!

1) The come command/recall. Positive, people. Give your dog a good reason to come when you call.

2) When you are asking your dog to be human. Think about what one dog will tell another dog. Things like, “Go away”, or “Let’s play” or even “That’s mine”. But dogs don’t teach each other English (“Sit”, for example). They don’t housebreak each other. So if one dog can’t teach it to another dog, and you’re asking your dog to be a little bit human, you must use positives.

3) Calm. This is the most important, most overlook opportunity for positives. I want calm to be a like a lottery ticket: You have to play to win (you’re probably not going to win), but unless you have a ticket, you definitely aren’t going to win. That ticket is calm. The more your dog has the “calm ticket” the more likely he is to win. So if he’s calm, give him a gentle positive. Anything from chilling out on the floor, to trying his best to be calm at the vet. Reward the effort. Progress, not perfection.

So there you have it. That’s all the rules. When to give positive and when to give negative. Everything you ever needed to know about how to work with your dog.

But I didn’t address your questions from earlier?

“Is it okay that my dog is on the couch?”

“Can we play tug with a rope toy? Or is that wrong?”

“We’re using puppy pads. Is that bad?”

Yes, I did! About the couch, think about the negatives. Do you like what your dog is doing on the couch? No? Then give him a negative. Don’t care that he’s on the couch? Well, then, neither do I, as long as he isn’t “yo bitching” you.

Playing tug with a rope toy? Cool! I love a good, rough game of tug. My husband doesn’t. I encourage it. My husband negates it. Remember, ask yourself if you like the behavior, and if the answer is “yes”, go for it. If the answer is “no”, then negate it. Just make sure that you have your limits adhered to. My Sparta is allowed to really go at it with me when we wrestle…until she isn’t When I feel things have escalated too much, I simply give her a negative, and she stops.

Puppy pads? If it works for you, it works for me.

In short, nobody should be telling you how to enjoy your dog. My dogs are allowed to beg from the table, as I frequently give them a small amount of table scraps. But once I’m done with them, they are given a negative, and they know to stop begging and stay away from me while I eat.

My dogs, like yours, are only here for my enjoyment. They make life easier, and so much sunnier! Don’t let a book full of rules tell you how you should be enjoying their company. Make sure you are indeed enjoying your dog, and not merely tolerating their behavior. If you don’t like their behavior (say, getting up on the couch), it’s up to you to answer your dog’s question (“Can I sleep up here?”), and set your own rules of how to enjoy your dog. The rules will differ from house to house, but the enjoyment will be constant.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m about to snuggle in bed with my dogs while I share my snack of cheese and crackers with them. I’m tired from all that rope-tug I played with Sparta.

It matters not what one is born, but what they grow to be.
- Albus Dumbledore

I recently wrote a post on why I love (accurate) breed profiling. I briefly mentioned pitties (A.K.A., pit bulls), but didn’t really go into depth about them as a specific “breed” of dog. Right now pit bulls are a polarizing breed. Lovers or fighters? Vicious or victims?

As I’ve previously written, I’m all for accurate breed descriptions, or profiling. Name things accurately. Describe things correctly. As Dumbledore pointed out to Harry Potter, “Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.” Sage words.

Polarizing things, such as pitties, puts them in angel or devil categories, each side slinging skewed statistics and unrealistic qualities, towards the other:

Their jaws lock on their victims/There’s no such thing as an aggressive pittie

The pit bull terrier is the breed of choice for criminals./Pit bulls are the best family dogs.

Pit bulls will readily fight other dogs/Pit bulls are the most social dogs out there

Who’s right? The problem lies within the fact that we only have two choices within to categorize pits: angel or devil.

In 1820, Sir Walter Scott wrote his famous Ivanhoe, a medieval romance set in 12th century England. One of Ivanhoe’s characters that doesn’t get a lot of credit is Isaac of York, a Jew. In 12th century England, where the story is set, Jews were basically a pariah. Hated and maligned, and apparently quite capable of witchcraft against Gentiles, according to the ludicrous thinking of the period. They had mostly, if not always, been portrayed in western fiction as evil, base and cowardly. After a bit of time, a small, select group of people began to loathe the treatment of Jews in literature, and portrayed them to be enlightened people, who were innocent beyond reproach (even Rebecca in Ivanhoe was treated as a pinnacle of beauty and innocence). Obviously neither description of Jews was accurate – any large group of people cannot possibly be all good or bad.

Then comes Isaac. Sir Walter Scott did something amazing when he created the character of Isaac: he allowed Isaac to be base and elevated. Kind and cruel. Able to be callous one moment, and show extreme tenderness the next. In other words, Scott made him real. To my recollection, this was the first time in history that Western culture had portrayed someone Jewish as, well, neither angel nor devil. He was merely human. He was just like other humans. And we judge humans on a case-by-case basis, not by gender, by ethnicity, or by…well, anything other than who the individual is.

Consider Isaac when debates about pit bulls come up. The best thing we can do for pitties as a “breed” is to allow them to land somewhere between angel and devil, just like any other breed of dog living being. Pitties are not perfect. Please don’t put that label, so full of pressure, on them. Pitties are dogs, no more, no less. Just like every other dog, they have their quirks, and they have their amazing redeeming qualities. Most importantly, they are individuals, not to be defined as a one-size-fits-all breed standard.

I am admittedly a pittie fan. Being a trainer, I am familiar with these dogs. I’d say roughly 60% of my clients own pitties/pittie mixes, however, I have never been bit by one. They can be very timid sometimes, and occasionally very submissive, but stand-offish is not a word for them. Sometimes shy, sometimes boisterous. Always a riot, though. Typically, they’re the type of dog who’d apologize for apologizing too much.

I’ve worked with a few clients who had dog-reactive pit bulls, but then again, I’ve had 4 pugs in the last week who were dog reactive. Pitties are not suitable for every situation, but then, no dog is. But I’d confidently say they’re appropriate for most situations. I will not lie and say they are without fault; believe me, they can have faults, just like every other dog. But they have heart. They have loyalty. They seem to be willing to try to do what ever you want them to do. They are a dog. I personally do not own one because, unfortunately, that would be illegal in my home city of Lakewood. But hopefully I will be able to in the near future. I’ve kinda developed a crush on pitties, you see.

This is why Darwin Dogs is so vocal about ending breed specific legislation (“BSL” or “Breed Bans”), and are aggressively pursuing an end to them.. As our mission statement proclaims, we are dedicated to peacefully and logically examining the necessity of Breed Specific Legislation in various cities, starting with our hometown of Lakewood, Ohio.

So instead of serving the Kool-aid of “Perfect Pitties” or the poison contained in the BSL’s, it’s time to give the victims of the BSL laws what they deserve: the opportunity to be looked upon with all their glorious faults and beauty. In other words, just a regular dog. Perfectly imperfect.

Please help us in our fight against stereotypes, such as BSL. For more information about how you can help, please check out All Breeds Lakewood, which is comprised of a handful of Lakewood citizens who have banded together to end breed discrimination and promote dog safety in our city.

“The physician must … have two special objects in view with regard to disease, namely, to do good or to do no harm” - Hippocratic Corpus

Boots and Bee Photography – By Brittany Graham

Clients frequently ask me for advice with regard to their dog’s health, and I will answer them honestly (the biggest of which is that yes, your dog is overweight. Now do something about it.) However, I have a very limited knowledge base of most things having to do with a dog’s physical health. It’s not my area, and there are plenty of well-qualified individuals who can answer questions beyond “How do I clip my dog’s nails?”. That’s where your vet comes in.

Choosing a Vet

Choosing a doctor or vet can be a very difficult thing. It’s almost as dramatic an undertaking as choosing a pediatrician. You are placing the health and welfare of your dog/child in the hands of someone else, essentially asking them to Pilot your dog’s/child’s health. It can be scary handing over control. So take your time when choosing your dog’s doctor.

Sometimes it can take ten tries before you get the perfect doctor.

Use your resources and referrals. Do you like your dog’s groomer? Ask who they recommend for a vet. Did you adopt your dog? Ask the shelter who they like to use. Don’t forget to ask your friends, or even post on Facebook to get some recommendations. You may notice a trend of vets whose names frequently pop up, either good or bad. Choose wisely.

Just kidding…you can always change vets if you need to

So you’ve got a recommendation, and you’ve made your first appointment. Think of it as a first date.

Things to look for:

Clean offices. No, I don’t expect the floors to be spic and span, but if there is anything other than dog/cat hair on the floor (is that dried blood?!) step away from the reception desk. Keep stepping. Right out the door.

Friendly staff. If reception makes you feel like a jerk for just checking in for your appointment, then how do you think you’re going to feel when you call them later asking a “dumb” question about your dog’s symptoms? Yes, they may be very, very busy, and you may have to wait to have your question answered, but you should never be made to feel stupid for caring about your dog’s health. Expect respect, for both you and your dog.

The staff here is a joke

Easy set-up. For those of you with dog-reactive dogs, you know what I mean. It can be difficult working with your dog’s reactivity while out on a walk and another dog is across the street. It can bevery difficult in a crowded waiting room. If the waiting room is over-crowded, approach the staff and ask if there is another option (waiting outside, or even better, a small room where you can wait).

Good communication. Ask your vet a question, you should get an answer. Note I did not state you should get the answer you are looking for. However, you should not feel shamed or stupid for asking questions. You and your vet are a team both working together to keep your pet happy and healthy. So if you don’t understand a procedure, or a medication, or symptoms, ask your vet. They should give you an answer in terms you can understand.

Good “dog-side” manner. Yes, your dog is scared, and perhaps you are, too. Your dog might not like the vet at first. Allow for some time to get a good relationship between your dog and your vet. Watch your vet: do they seem comfortable working with your dog? Do they take safety precautions when necessary (such as a muzzle or another person to assist)? Those are good signs.

And sometimes “I don’t know” is an acceptable answer. If your vet knows everything, know that they don’t. It’s okay for them to say they aren’t sure, or don’t feel qualified to make a diagnosis. Remember, first do no harm! Knowing your limits (even as a vet) is a good thing.

And makes for wonderful BBC mock-umentaries.

Finally, be aware that any vet can be subjected to biased reviews, undeserved slander, and malicious attacks. The very nature of their practice unfortunately includes taking animals to the Rainbow Bridge. Understand the difference between a poor practice and poor circumstances.

Damnit Jim, he’s a doctor, not a time traveller!

Choosing a vet is a very personal thing. You are asking someone else to care for the health and well-being of a very important part of your life: your pets. It’s okay to take a pass on a vet just because you got a “strange vibe”. Listen to your gut, don’t be afraid to speak up if you have questions, and trust your instincts. Your pet will thank you with a long, happy, healthy life.

Now, cryin’ won’t help you
Prayin’ won’t do you no good
When the levee breaks
Mama, you got to move
- Led Zepplin, When The Levee Breaks

Brittany Graham Photography

Orion peed on the floor last week.

I’m not going to say it’s my fault, because I let him out, I saw him go, and I let him back in. Besides, I’m not a big fan of blame. I’m surely not going to blame Orion. He’s a dog. What happened was this:

I took Sparta for a walk.

I know what you’re thinking. How on earth could taking Sparta for a walk result in a mess on the floor from Orion. Was Orion trying to get back at me? Answer: No. Dogs don’t work that way. Here’s the blow-by-blow.

1) I know Orion is a super-hyper dog with a lot of energy. If I don’t help him get rid of that energy in productive ways, it turns into nervous energy.

That’s a bad thing. Orion had a lot of energy that morning. I’ve been pretty busy, and haven’t been giving him quite enough outlets during the day. Yes, we still hiked, but he’s a dog who needs a LOT of physical activity to be at his best. And while each day he had enough exercise to skim the energy off the top, I didn’t empty his cup, if you will. Unfortunately, that builds up over time.

2) Orion has a nervous temperament as well. He’s like a skittish racehorse. And when he has some shock to his system (like my taking Sparta for a walk before him, which is our usual MO), he literally can’t hold it anymore Like a 4 year old on Christmas morning. Yes, the child has been potty trained, but if you add too much excitement, nothing is stopping the flood.

Or as I refer to it, The Fountain of Youth

3) I forgot who my dog was. Orion has a bit of separation anxiety, especially with Sparta. I know Orion initially self-soothed by, uh, eliminating in a high stress situation. Yes, we worked on that, and he’s been amazing these past few years. But this is a behavior you manage, rather than cure. Orion hasn’t eliminated in the house in a very, very long time. I just happened to create the perfect storm for him.

So what should I have done?

1) Paid more attention to his need for activity. Yes, I was busy, but that’s a reason, not an excuse. If I blow the engine on my car because I was too busy to change the oil, I don’t get a pass from the mechanic who has to replace my engine. I’m the one who got the car/dog. It’s my responsibility to change the oil/exercise the car/dog. No excuses. Figure something out, or, in my case, clean something up.

2) Control the situation. So the amount of activity in our house has been down, meaning I was already setting Orion up for failure. So I added on top of it. I know he’s used to going for the walk first, and was ready to go! Except, I reneged on him. And rocked his little world. That merely added to the stress he already had from lack of activity.

3) Know your dog. This is Orion, not Sparta, who hasn’t gone in the house since, like, ever! I know his triggers, and as I work with him, they trigger him less and less, but still, he has them.

So this week I’ve been proactive. His amount of activity per day has been increased. I’ve gotten him accustomed to being along in the house first, while I take Sparta for very brief walks, (like out the front door, down the driveway and then back) so he gets used to the idea and isn’t traumatized by it.

So now when I’m presented with two dogs who are each waiting for their (separate) walks, each with a lot of energy, I’m able to manage the situation better. I hold up a leash and let them know I’m ready for my first solo dog walk of the day with one of them. And rather than this reaction from each of them:

I get this.

Orion knows now that just because he isn’t first doesn’t mean he isn’t skipping his walk. And I know now that good enough is only good enough for so long. Now I’m very careful to make sure I get rid of all of Orion’s energy.

All generalizations are false, including this one.

Mark Twain

Brittany Graham Photography

I went out to a local Thai restaurant a few weeks ago. I brought home the leftovers, and when I ate them the next day, ended up getting food poisoning. I decided that this was very dangerous to the health and safety of the general populace in my area, so I decided to take action. I’ve started a petition to ban Thai restaurants in my city. Public safety comes first. That’s why I’m including any Chinese, Japanese and Cambodian restaurants in my proposition as well: I’m mean, they’re basically the same food, right? And I’d rather nobody had to experience what I went through. It’s a known fact that people are more likely to get food poisoning from these styles of cooking than any other type of cuisine. I’m going to include Indian food in the ban as well. Better safe than sorry.

If you’re reading this and shaking your head, wondering if I’ve gone bonkers, you know how I feel now reading about breed specific legislation.

And both manage to avoid all rational thought.

Yes, technically I did get sick from some Thai food that I ate…but my fridge malfunctioned and the food was left at room temperature for waaaay too long. Essentially, because I did not harbor the food properly, it turned against me. I didn’t take care to ensure it was in a safe environment, and against all precautions, ate it. And paid the price for it. However, I’m pretty sure that if I had chosen to eat the meatloaf that was left in similar conditions, I would have ended up with the same results.

I have indeed gotten food poisoning through no fault of my own – twice. But considering how often I eat out (2x or more per week), having food poisoning a couple times in my life is a pretty amazing track record.

Let’s stay positive about this.

Claiming that a breed of dog is inherently “bad” is about as sane and rational as declaring an entire cuisine poisonous based upon one bad experience, regardless of who is at fault. So I question the mentality of banning an entire breed, let alone lumping several in together because they “look alike”.

Currently, in the city of Lakewood, Ohio, the law reads:

”As used in this section, “pit bull dog” means any Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier breed of dog, any dog of mixed breed which has the appearance and characteristics of being predominantly of such breeds, any dog commonly known as a pit bull, pit bull dog or pit bull terrier; or a combination of any of these breeds. ” – LAKEWOOD, OH., ORDINANCES § 506.03(b)

Excuse me….did we just legislate against something using the word “appearance”? Zucchini may have the appearance of a cucumber, but it ain’t the same thing. (As a matter of fact, my abhorrence for zucchini runs so deeply I had to spell it 5 times before finally running to spellcheck for assistance.)

Zuchini…zuchinni? Abomination That Masquerades As A Cucumber?

So lawmakers have opened that horrible floodgate of legislation based on appearance – one I thought we had finally closed years ago. Do we really want to re-open that can of worms? I didn’t think so.

Pit bulls (which are actually many breeds lumped together to form a “group”) have plenty of faults: most of which arise from the fact that they are dogs. They are just like every other dog. They can be sweet, they can sometimes be annoying. They require Piloting, Activity and Work (or what we refer to as “PAW“) just like every other dog. Mostly they’re interested in whatever it is that you are eating, and whether or not they can get a belly rub from you. They will defend, they will run away. It all depends upon the dog.

Members of Lakewood City Council are starting to realize the toxic nature of these laws. jSam O’Leary, councilman for the City of Lakewood, has this to say:

“Lakewood’s BSL unfairly punishes a breed for the actions of irresponsible owners. Lakewood should hold the responsible party accountable: the owners of a vicious dog. When we legislate based on fear instead of the facts, we end up with policies that are ineffective, unfair, and fail to protect our neighbors and pets. Lakewood’s repeal of BSL is long overdue.”

I’m against judging a dog by their looks. I like judging dogs by their actions. Based upon who they are, not what they look like. I believe in accurate breed profiling. But most of all, I believe that the sum is worth more than the parts. Case by case determination of what constitutes a “vicious dog”. Repercussions for irresponsible owners. I favor education over legislation any day.

Before you get any further, realize that this is going to be a polarizing article. I’m not here to make friends, I’m not here to write about the “feels good” topics of puppies nor stories of bonding with your dog. Today I write for a completely different reason, and I truly hope you understand why.

There are an (estimated) 7.6 million cats and dogs who are homeless (approximately 3.9 million dogs and 3.4 million cats.). Nowhere to go, and since nobody wants them, they end up in shelters. Of that 7.6 million, 2.7 million of these animals are killed, simply because they are the criminals whose only crime was having no place to go. Most are harmless. Some are innocent puppies and kittens. All are scared. None deserve death for the crimes perpetrated against them by some humans: not providing for them, not caring for them, and abandoning them. They literally have nowhere else to go.

We’ve heard of their plight, and have offered assistance to them; not just domestically, but abroad. Russia, South Korea, among so many others.

It doesn’t matter where the dog is from; all we see is an animal in need, and animal struggling to survive. An innocent who needs our help. I love how passionate animal rescuers are about this. We go the extra mile (or thousand) to bring these animals to sanctuary here in the USA. We make generous donations to fund these rescue missions. We make room in our already-crowded shelters for them. Somehow we make it work. Dog is dog is a dog is a dog, as Gertrude Stein might have written. It doesn’t matter where that dog is from; it matters that it’s a living being in danger and in need. We open our already full hearts and let them in.

Which is why I’m so confused.

On Friday, Donald Trump issued an executive order which, as the New York Times worded it,

”…indefinitely barred Syrian refugees from entering the United States, suspended all refugee admissions for 120 days and blocked citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, refugees or otherwise, from entering the United States for 90 days: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.”

You may be Republican or Democratic. You may be neither, preferring another party altogether. What you cannot be is untouched by the repercussions that this will have. Homelessness isn’t something that is country specific. It’s not something that only applies to pets. It’s a human issue, too. And it ends just as tragically for humans as it does for companion animals.

The body of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi, found washed ashore near the Turkish resort of Bodrum. The boats carrying the boy’s family to the Greek island of Kos capsized. His 5-year-old brother and mother also lost their lives.DHA/AP

Are you shocked? Are you angry? Are you upset that I’d post such a picture?

Good.

Because those of us who are active in rescue need to be active in all forms of rescue. If we can’t be pro-active, we need at least not hinder those who are seeking asylum. Because innocent victims of war, famine and poverty can be human, too. And because if the thought of dogs suffering in China makes you more upset than the thought of a child huddled in a bombed-out town, I seriously question whether you are human yourself.

The argument that some immigrants and refugees may be dangerous is also moot. I’ve rescued many, many dogs. And guess what? Some of them were dangerous. But not a lot. Not even a fraction. I was more than willing to risk the (very) few dangerous ones to save so many other lives. And yes, there was always the risk of getting bit, but it was worth it. More than anything I’ve ever done.

So by now I’m sure I’ve lost a few of you. Maybe a lot of you. But this isn’t a political post. It’s a humanitarian post. We are all connected, regardless of where we came from. So many times on the Darwin Dogs’ Facebook page I’ve asked my followers what is your favorite breed of dog, and the overwhelming response is always “mutts” or “mixed breeds”. It’s the diversity in the dog that makes it so wonderfully unique, so strong, so much healthier.

Boots and Bee Photography – by Brittany Graham

We need our diversity in this wonderful United States of America. It keeps us strong and healthy. It bonds us together and is what built this great nation. Accept the unique, the strange, the *gasp* differences between us as something to be celebrated rather than vilified and feared. That quote at the top of this article, the one we all know it from the Statue of Liberty? Most of us didn’t know it was written by a woman named Emma Lazarus. How fitting the name, “Lazarus”, to come back from death. They are just words until we take action to make them a reality.

In closing, remember the compassion that drives us to rescue. Remember why we do it: to end suffering. Let’s just remember that suffering isn’t something that is limited only to animals, and let it be proven that dogs don’t have the monopoly on love. There’s the saying about trying to be the person my dog thinks you are. Even above that, try to be the person your dog would be: color blind and full of only acceptance and love, no matter what your circumstances or where you came from.

The man with insight enough to admit his limitations comes nearest to perfection.

– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

My Sparta. The most beautiful, obedient dog I’ve ever worked with. Over 100 lbs. of pure physical poetry. She’s the type of dog who we can leave the Thanksgiving turkey out on the counter right above where she’s sleeping, and she’ll leave it alone (we do). She will follow any command, no matter how scary, because she trusts us (she does). In short, she is practically a machine when it comes to her obedience. It’s sorta creepy, now that I think of it. Sounds like the perfect dog, right? Except she has one big problem. As my husband likes to say, she reads too much Guns and Ammo.

Sparta is a Shepherd/Rottie mix (not a guess, but verified truth), with emphasis on the Shepherd. Ah, suddenly it clicks why she’s so obedient. Shepherds have been used for many years for a myriad of reasons: search and rescue, guide dogs, drug dogs, war, peace, agility and everything in between. I truly believe that while they may not be the smartest dog (looking at you Border Collies and Poodles), they are probably the most willing to accept whatever training you wish.

However, I’m a firm believer in breed profiling. It’s called “breed standard” for a reason. Imagine going into a car dealership and saying I need a car, but having no idea what you want. Mini-van, Corvette, Jeep? What will you be using this car for? If you don’t know what you want, you won’t know what you’re getting. Pound puppies can follow some form of breed standard as well. If you adopt a Pit/Aussie mix, prepare for a lot of enthusiastic cuddling. A Basset/Poodle? Probably a lot of sedentary mind games, like chess. Not always the case, but a good general rule. Of course there are Frankendogs. The dogs that you have no idea what breed(s) they can be. Simply find out who they are, rather than focusing on what they are. (Hint: here’s an article that can help with that.)

Back to Sparta. She’s predominantly Shepherd, and boy does she show it. Obedient, trusting…every command I give her, I feel as if her response is Sir, yes sir! No, I didn’t make her that way; she just is. The problem? Shepherds were originally bred to guard livestock (not manage it….that’s you, Border Collies). She has it ingrained in her DNA to guard her pack, flock, family – whatever you want to call it. And she will do it with her life.

There’s an old joke about Shepherds: How many Shepherds does it take to change a light bulb? First you secure the perimeter. That is exactly who my Sparta is. That can make living with her in a very dense population a bit of a challenge. If a zombie apocalypse were ever to happen, she’s the dog you want. However, a walk through Downtown Mayberry? Yeah, that’s some Piloting that needs to happen there. Yes, it can be done, and I do it, but I realize that I will be Piloting her and answering her questions very frequently.

Is that a threat? No, Sparta. Should we reinforce our rearguard? No, Sparta.

I’m not angry with her, I’m never punishing her. I’m merely answering her (legitimate) questions. However, I know my limitations, as well as hers.

I recently (foolishly?) decided to completely renovate my bathroom. My family was out of town for about a week, and I thought it to be the perfect time to do it. However, I needed some help. I called a friend of our family, Sam, who generously came over every day to help me tear apart the bathroom, put in a new sub-floor, new tile, new vanity, new everything. Obviously, very involved, and a lot of noise to go with the project. Sparta happens to not like Sam. I don’t care if she’s best friends with him or not. She’s allowed to ask the question:

Can I kill him?No, Sparta. Not today.Okay, then. I’ll be in the mudroom if you need me to kill him.You enjoy yourself there, Sparta. And put down the Guns and Ammo magazine. How about some Vanity Fair mags for a bit?

Problem is, she will be asking that question frequently. Sometimes Sam might need to go downstairs by himself. Sometimes he might need to come in and out of the house while cutting tile. In Sparta’s mind, each instance is always a separate question. And yes, she will immediately accept the answer, but only if I give it. And right there is our limitation. What if Sam runs downstairs, just one time, and I don’t notice, and don’t answer her question? Sparta would do what comes naturally to her: defend the flock.

So instead of constantly being on alert for Sparta, she has spent a relaxing week at my mother’s house. She got to play with her “cousins”, Louie and Kiwi. More importantly, she had little to no questions to ask while she was there (thanks, Mom!). When she comes back today, she will notice that there is a new bathroom. Odds are, she’ll want to check it out to make sure there are no threats to our family in there (Sir, no Sir!) and all will be right with our little pack.